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natty1730 · 1 year

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Playlist (Metal Family OC)

🌼Daisy Oceanos Morozov 🌼

Blue Hair ~ TV Girl

Mary On A Cross ~ Ghost

Bring Me To Life ~ Evanescence

Call Me Little Sunshine ~Ghost

Teenagers ~My Chemical Romance

Chelsea Dagger ~ The Fratellis

Dear Maria, Count Me In ~ All Time Low

Oblivion ~ Grimes

Brutal ~ Olivia Rodrigo

Ain’t It Fun ~ Paramore

Cigarette Daydream ~ Cage The Elephant

Lovesong ~The Cure

Fade Into You ~ Mazzy Star

About a Girl ~ Nirvana

Iris ~ The Goo Goo Dolls

Love Will Tear Us Apart ~ Joy Division

Just Like Heaven ~ The Cure

Summertime Sadness ~ Lana Del Rey

Brooklyn Baby ~ Lana Del Rey

West Coast ~ Lana Del Rey

Watercolor Eyes ~ Lana Del Rey

High By The Beach ~ Lana Del Rey

Blue Madonna ~ BORNS

Sweet Dreams ~ BORNS

Jealous ~ Eyedress

Want Me ~Baby Queens

Romeo and Juliet ~ The Killers

Midnight Love ~ Girl in Red

Genesis ~ Grimes

Maya the Psychic ~ Gerard Way

Women ~ Harry Styles

My Boy ~ Billie Eilish

The Less I Know The Better ~ Tame Impala

My Type ~ Saint Motel

Happier Than Ever ~ Billie Eilish

Give You Hell ~ The All-American Rejects

Cornflower Blue ~ Flower Face

We’re Not Gonna Take It ~ Twisted Sister

The Story Ain’t Over ~ Avantasis

I Wanna Rock ~ Twisted Sister

Somebody Told Me ~ Motionless In White

Rock You Like a Hurricane ~ Scorpions

You Give Love A Bad Name ~ Bon Jovi

Smells Like Teen Spirit ~ Nirvana

I Was Mad For Lovin’ You ~ KISS

It’s My Life ~ Bon Jovi

Creep ~ Radiohead

Pour Some Sugar On Me ~ Def Leppard

Boulevard of Broken Dreams ~ Green Day

Psychic Reader ~ Bad Bad Hats

BLUE ~ Troye Sivan , Alex Hope

Cardigan ~ Taylor Swift

Lovefool ~ The Cardigans

Willow ~ Taylor Swift

Pretty Girl ~ Clairo

Always Forever ~ Cults

Candy ~ Robbie Williams

Something That I Want ~ Grace Potter

Can I Call You Tonight ~Dayglow

Melting ~ Kali Uchis

Moonlight ~ Kali Uchis

See You Again ~ Tyler, The Creator & Kali Uchis

Telepatia ~ Kali Uchis

I Wish you Roses ~ Kali Uchis

La Luna Enamorada ~ Kali Uchis

First Love/Last Spring ~ Mitski

Never Felt So Alone ~ Labrinth

Blue ~ LAUNDRY DAY

Colors of the Wind ~ Judy Kuhn

Lavender Haze ~ Taylor Swift

Heather ~ Conan Gray

Something Good ~ Alt-J

She ~ Dodie

Reencuentro ~ Huara

Zamba’l Mar ~ Anida

Chitquitita ~ ABBA (Spanish Version )

Ophelia ~ The Lumineers

Selfless ~ The Strokes

Once Upon a December ~ Anastasia

J’s lullaby ~ Delaney Bailey

The Night We Met ~ Lord Huron & Phoebe Birdgers

This Side of Paradise ~ Coyote Theory

I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend ~ The Rubinoos

Teenage Dirtbag ~ Wheatus

Luna de Xelaju ~ Gaby Moreno & Oscar Isaac

All The Things She Said ~ t.A.T.u

Parents ~ YUNGBLUD

Freaks ~ Surf Curse

Not Allowed ~ TV Girl

Living Life , In The Night ~ Cheriimoya & Sierra Kidd

King For A Day~ Pierce The Veil

Flames ~ MOD SUN & Avril Lavigne

Amnesia ~ MOD SUN

Bones ~ MOD SUN

Break the Rules ~ Charli XCX

Rebel Girl ~ Bikini Kill

Nunca Es Suficiente ~ Natalia Lafourcade

Haste la Raiz

Tu Falta De Querer ~ Mon Laferte

Amarrame ~ Mon Laferte & Juanes

Amor Completo ~ Mon Laferte

The Adults Are Talking ~ The Strokes

Soledad y el Mar ~ Natalia Lafourcade & Los Macorinos

Cariño~ The Marias

Remember the Time ~ Michael Jackson

Chicago ~ Michael Jackson

P.Y.T. ~ Michael Jackson

Arabella ~ Arctic Monkeys

I Wanna Be Yours ~ Arctic Monkeys

Green Light ~ Lorde

Liability ~ Lorde

All I Wanted ~ Paramore

Misery Business ~ Paramore

Still into You ~ Paramore

Kiwi ~Harry Styles

I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE ~ Maneskin

Stargirl Interlude ~ The Weeknd & Lana del Rey

New Girl ~ Labrinth

Pumped Up Kicks ~ Foster The People

Free Spirit ~ Khalid

hate u love u ~ Olivia O’Brien

In My Dreams ~ Kali Uchis

Super Psycho Love ~ Simon Curtis (The YouTube Version)

She’s My Collar ~ Gorillaz & Kali Uchis

Cherry Flavored ~ The Neighborhood

Backyard Boy ~ Claire Rosinkranz

Dirty Little Secret ~ The All-American Rejects

Move Along ~ The All-American Rejects

Dueles ~ Jesse & Joy

Romantic Lover ~ Eyedress

September (Instrumental) ~ Sparky Deathcap

Magalenha ~ Sergio Mendes

Fanfarra - Cabua-Le-Le ~ Sergio Mendes

Mas Que Nada ~ Sergio Mendes & Brasil’66

The Girl From Ipanema ~ Astrud Gilberto

Baiana ~ Barbatuques

Me Gustas Tu ~ Manu Chao

Pais Tropical ~ Sergio Mendes & Brasil’66

Tubarao Te Amo ~ Dj LK de Escocia & Tchakabum & MC Ryan

Carta Ao Tom 74 ~ Toquinho & Vinicius de Moraes

Girl From Rio ~ Anitta

Dancando ~ Ivete Sangalo

Ai Se Eu Te Pego ~ Michel Telo

Balada ~ Gusttavo Lima

Taboo ~ Don Omar

Calm Down ~ Rema & Selena Gomez

R.I.P 2 My Youth ~ The Neighborhood

NYMPHOLOGY ~ Melanie Martinez

Smell Like Cherry ~ Alex Ves (Metal Family)

Light ~ Alex Ves (Metal Family)

Tales of a Pine ~ Alex Ves (Metal Family)

In One Ear ~ Cage The Elephant

Why ~ Sabrina Carpenter

Gold Hour~ JVKE

Billie Bossa Nova x West Coast

#dee x reader #metal family #metal family x reader #metal family fandom #metal family heavy #metal family dee #metal family glam #metal family vicky #metal family ches #metal family lif

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the-forest-library · 1 year

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March 2023 Reads

The Neighbor Favor - Kristina Forest

The Love Wager - Lynn Painter

Witcha Gonna Do? - Avery Flynn

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon - Sarah Hawley

The Librarian of Crooked Lane - C.J. Archer

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen - K.J. Charles

Of Manners and Murder - Anastasia Hastings

To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis

The Lives of Christopher Chant - Diana Wynne Jones

Royal Blood - Aimee Carter

Missing Clarissa - Ripley Jones

Kill Joy - Holly Jackson

Home Field Advantage - Dahlia Adler

Begin Again - Emma Lord

Free Radicals - Lila Riesen

The Headmaster’s List - Melissa de la Cruz

The Magic Fish - Trung Le Nguyen

She-Hulk, Vol 1: Jen, Again: Rainbow Rowell

Enchantment - Katherine May

What Looks Like Bravery - Laurel Braitman

Forager - Michelle Dowd

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? - Julie Smith

Glow in the F*cking Dark - Tara Schuster

Dear Dolly - Dolly Alderton

We Should Not Be Friends - Will Schwalbe

It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism - Bernie Sanders

Con/Artist - Tony Tetro

The Polyvagal Theory - Stephen W. Porges

The Way Out - Alan Gordon, Alon Ziv

Financial Femist - Tori Dunlap

Peak Mind - Amish P. Jha

Sex Talks - Vanessa Marin

Come as You Are - Emily Nagasaki

What’s Eating Us - Cole Kazdin

Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy - Toni Okamoto

Dinner in One - Melissa Clark

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts:

A really solid month, especially for non-fiction reads.

Goodreads Goal: 103/400

2022 Reads | 2023 Reads

#2023 reads #book reviews #book recommendations #books #booklr #bookish #reading #bibliophile

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mythrae · 10 months

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Ain't No Sunshine (When She's Gone)

Chapter 1: Prelude

Summary: When the Fairest Bard in Baldur’s Gate is forced into giving her hand in marriage to a member of the Baldurian Elite, Anastasia Goldenrod told herself she would do just about anything to get herself out of it.

Word Count: 3.9k

Warnings: 18+ (minors do not interact), minor character death

Author’s Notes:

this fic is half the reason why I’ve been absent from writing this past month so if u wanna blame someone blame Stassie

big shoutout to @swanfey and @have-a-treato for beta reading :)

fic is set immediately before Act 1 of

click here to read on aO3 :)

“Mama? Papa? I’m home!”

Anastasia Goldenrod opened the door of her parent’s home in Rivington, her violin case in one hand and a bag full of coins in the other. She had just finished performing in front of Sorcerous Sundries on the western side of the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate, a spot she would frequent often as the days were slowly getting warmer.

Ever since Anastasia was a young girl, she had always dreamed of becoming a bard. She was born with a gift for music, so learning how to sing and play her violin came as naturally to her as a babe learning to crawl. Once she began playing her instrument in the streets outside of her home, always drawing in an adoring crowd of fans wanting to get a glimpse of her golden hair and freckled cheeks in the sunlight as she played and sang her heart out.

As she got older, she began to perform almost daily, her talents requested by people of higher ranking. She was even asked to perform at Grand Duke Ravengard’s coronation, an offer she would be a fool to refuse. With her high-profile appearances, she began to build quite the reputation throughout the city.

The Fairest Bard in Baldur’s Gate , they called her.

Or, as she was known by those who watched her perform nightly at the Elfsong Tavern, the Silver Tongued Bard, for her quick jabs at the men who pined after her.

She didn’t really care for titles, no, that wasn’t what was important to her. She was more than happy making a living doing what she loved.

And she always wanted to make her parents proud. That’s why, even after she had finished her schooling, she stayed at home to help support her family. Nearly every single piece of gold she made went back to them. She helped her mother in the kitchen, aided her father with tailoring the garments sent to the family’s shop, even repairing some of the pieces herself. They had given their life to her for so long, she wanted to pay them back in any way she could.

Her parents were very happy to have their only child still helping them around the home and with the family business. They were proud to see how far their daughter had come in such a short amount of time.

And even so, they still had different plans for her.

“Ah, perfect timing! Hurry, come in, dear!” She heard her father shouting for her from the parlor.

She made haste, her feet moving quickly at her father’s call. But as she entered the room, setting down her violin case, she found herself taking a step back.

Three people stood up from their place on the sofas, all looking to her expectantly.

Her parents, of course, were no shock to her whatsoever. But the tall, dark haired man towering over them was an unexpected guest.

“Anastasia,” her mother said, grinning from ear to ear, “there’s someone we would like you to meet.”

The man gave her a smile, extending his hand to her as a greeting.

“Ah, if it isn’t the Fairest Bard in all of Baldur’s Gate! I have been looking forward to making your acquaintance, dear.”

She caught a glimpse of the golden steel gauntlet adorning his fingers, a purple stone that almost seemed to glow set right in the middle of the ornate item. The metal matched the accents of his belt and cloak, resembling the face of some sort of devil-like figure. Her eyes flickered to his face, and while he was quite the sight for sore eyes, there was something a bit… off , about him. As if there was another side of him he didn’t want anyone else to see.

When she reached out her hand to shake his, he grabbed hold of her tightly, almost unforgivingly, the metal of the gauntlet cold against her delicate skin. Unable to break from his clutch, she watched as he pulled the back of her hand to his lips for a soft, uncomfortably tender kiss. She felt her face flush, feeling his surprisingly soft lips pressed against her. But as his darkened eyes stared into hers, she felt the warmth leave her body entirely.

She took her hand back, shaking off his unwelcome gesture. “A bit forward for a stranger to greet me like this in my home, hmm?”

“ Ana !” Her mother raised her voice, “That’s no way to treat your future husband!”

“Future… what ?”

Anastasia spun her head to look at her mother, then back at the man standing in front of her.

She was going to marry him?

“Ah, my apologies, darling.” The man finally spoke. “I have yet to introduce myself.”

He placed his hand over his chest and bowed to her deeply, refusing to break his gaze. Her whole body felt like it was under a spell, as if she was frozen and couldn’t move.

“I am Lord Enver Gortash. A pleasure to meet you, my dear.”

Hells, not a politician…

Usually, she’d be able to come up with a witty one-liner that would lower his ego. Make a comment on how he looks as if he hasn’t bathed in a tenday, or how he could use a haircut to look more like a member of the elite and not a lowly pauper. After all, she couldn’t become as well known amongst the city as she was without a little bit of vicious mockery.

But despite her strong distaste for him, and how her parents had introduced him as her future husband, she found herself stunned into silence.

“I see that this must be a lot to take in, hm?” He stood upright, his shadow looming over her once more.

All she could do was nod.

“You see, Anastasia, I have heard of your renown throughout the city,” Lord Gortash continued, “There are only so many ladies who can be given your title, after all. So I’ve taken it upon myself to visit the Elfsong every now and again. And you, my dear, are a true work of art.”

Something clicked in the back of her mind.

Yes , she thought, I’ve seen him there before…

The vision comes back briefly, her playing one of the tunes she wrote for Duke Ulder Ravengard on the tavern stage. He was sitting in the back of the room, drinking whatever ale they had that evening, glaring at her from across the way.

She remembered how frightening he looked. It made her feel unsafe that night.

And here he was, giving her that same devious glare, making her feel vulnerable all over again. Almost like he was staring right through her clothes, taking in her naked form.

She wanted to run. She wanted to get away. She wanted to scream and claw at the smug look at his face and hit him over the head with her violin case.

But, she stayed frozen, unable to move.

“And what a coincidence, he continued, “your father just so happens to be my tailor! When I had knocked on his door earlier today, he thought I had personally come by to drop off my cloaks!

“What can I say?” Her father chuckled, “It’s not every day that the Military Advisor for the Baldurian Elite comes to our humble shop!”

“Well, you will most certainly need to get used to it, Mister Goldenrod.”

Lord Gortash reached into his cloak pocket, pulling out a small box while he knelt down on one knee. He opened the box, revealing a golden ring, an impressively large diamond set perfectly in the middle.

“Anastasia Goldenrod, I would be remiss to not make you my bride. Will you accept?”

Oh, so they’re being serious.

She didn’t want to do this, not yet. Her life had barely begun, and she didn’t want to get tied down just yet. She wanted to perform, travel alongside the Sword Coast, meet all sorts of friends and foes. She wanted a chance to live her life, fall in love on her own terms, before settling down and starting a family.

This would take it all away from her.

She was going to say no, until she turned her focus away from Gortast to look at her parents.

She knew they had gone through hardship, long before she was even born. Her father was once a renown tailor in the Lower City of Baldur’s Gate, servicing any and all who stopped at his doorstep. But an accident unknown to her had ruined his reputation, forcing his family to move to the outskirts of the city he loved. Since then, they have struggled, barely making enough money for the three of them. It wasn’t until she started getting paid for playing that they were finally able to live comfortably. And even then, it wasn’t always enough.

She knew that if she were to get married to a Baldurian Elite like Lord Gortash, her father’s business would be up and running again. She could see the hope and excitement in their eyes as they envisioned their future.

She couldn’t find it in herself to crush their dreams.

With her eyes squeezed shut and her face turned away, she begrudgingly gave him her answer:

“Yes.”

She heard her parents gasp, elated that their daughter had accepted his proposal. When she opened her eyes, she saw Lord Gortash beaming, a twinkle in his eye as he plucked the ring from its box and slid it onto Anastasia’s ring finger.

“Excellent.”

“Oh, isn’t this so exciting, Ana?” Her father said, nearly shaking in excitement, “he wants to marry you! YOU!”

No, it was not exciting whatsoever , she thought.

Lord Gortash stood up, giving Anastasia’s hand one final squeeze before he left. “It was a delight to make your acquaintance, dearest Anastasia.”

She gave him a curt nod in his direction, discreetly wiping her hand on her trousers.

He gave a shallow bow to her parents. “I must go make the arrangements for our upcoming nuptials. We will be married in a tenday! Get your guest list to me as soon as you can!”

As he opened the door to their home, he turned his head to say one last remark:

“It will surely be an unforgettable night!

Anastasia felt her stomach drop.

She did not like the way he said that.

-----

Unable to face her parents with her concerns for her upcoming nuptials, Anastasia spent the next hour quietly sobbing into the pile of pillows resting on her bed.

Usually, when she thought her parents were making a poor decision, she would be able to dissuade them into making a choice that was more reasonable. Things like if they wanted to irresponsibly use their money, or if they wanted to use a different thread supplier because the one they have become loyal to was getting pricier.

But this? If she said anything at all, it could ruin everything. There was no way she could express how she was feeling to them right now.

In fact, how was she feeling?

Blindsided, confused, hurt, betrayed. As if she was being sold off like a pig in a market, destined for a grim death it would never see coming.

All of these and more came to mind.

But instead of seeking out the comfort she once had from her parents, she let the pillowcases absorb her tears, her eye makeup staining them black.

She was so distraught by what they had allowed to happen to her, she didn’t even notice the graying-haired stranger relaxing in the chair in the corner of her bedroom.

As she lifted her head from her pillow to take a shaky breath, the overwhelming smell of sulfur filled her nostrils. And was that a hint of…

Cherry ?

Turning her head over her shoulder, she locked eyes with a man dressed rather regally watching her intently, one leg crossed over the other as he held a chalice delicately in his fingers.

“My, my, my.” The man tutted, shaking his head. “I was worried I’d be here until sunrise, little mouse.”

Anastasia sat up in her bed, silently conjuring one of her cantrips in between her fingers. The heat started to build up in the palm of her hand as she narrowed her eyes, zeroing in the most unwelcome guest.

“How the hells did you get in here?”

The strange man chuckled, twirling his chalice, “Seems your door has a faulty lock, hm?”

Her eyes flickered over to the door, which was left slightly ajar.

“Fair point.” She replied, palms glowing a bright orange as she hopped from her bed as she held out her hands in his direction, “ Why are you here?”

“Oh, where are my manners?” He smiled to himself, standing to his feet while placing the chalice on the desk next to him.

Anastasia fought the urge to roll her eyes to the back of her head. She’d already met one odd man in her home, and now here she was, dealing with another one.

“I am Raphael, at your humble service.”

Another shallow bow, much like the one Gortash gave her parents mere hours ago, down to resting his hand on top of his chest.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Anastasia spat, the magic practically burning at her skin, “Tell me why you’re here, or I’ll incincerate you where you stand.”

“Well, aren’t you feisty?” He nearly purred, “I assure you, I am here to help you. With your… upcoming arrangement.”

Anastasia felt her eyes go wide. How does he know?

She dismissed her cantrip away, allowing her hands to slowly fall to her sides.

“Explain yourself.”

“You see,” Raphael began, “I know of this man who wants to have your hand in marriage. This ‘Lord Gortash,’ he calls himself. We have… a bit of history, to say the least. And I would stop at nothing to ruin his pathetic self over and over again.”

She watched him tightly squeeze his fist together, as if he was squishing the life out of Lord Gortash in his bare hands.

“I would very much like to help you get out of this arrangement…”

“Oh, you would?!” Anastasia blurted,

“... for a price, that is.”

This didn’t bother her in the slightest.

“At this point, I’d do anything.” She pleaded.

Well, almost anything.

“Calm down, little mouse.” Raphael waved his hand in the air, “Let’s discuss this matter in a less… intimate setting. Besides, the town of Rivington always felt too ‘middle-of-nowhere’ for my tastes.”

Before she could even process what he said, Raphael snapped his fingers, and Anastasia felt the room spinning away from her.

Even when she closed her eyes, the vertigo still took hold, feeling as if her body had been caught up in a twister she could not escape. All she could do was squeeze her eyes shut and pray that it would be over.

But as the thought crossed her mind, she felt the air around her still.

When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in her bedroom. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The stranger had teleported her into a grand dining hall, lavished with the highest quality food and the strongest smelling alcohol her senses had ever experienced. Plush chairs surrounded the large table, a rather creepy skeleton placed in each seat, paired with its own plate and goblet at their table setting. The walls were decorated rather luxuriously, paintings hung carefully alongside many emblems of a golden devilish face, each one with its tongue sticking out.

Wait a minute, she thought, those are the same devil’s on Gortash’s cloak…

“There,” Raphael said, interrupting Anastasia’s thoughts, “‘middle-of-somewhere.’ Welcome to my House of Hope, dear.”

He stood in front of the fireplace, the warm glow of the flickering flames making him look as if he was a sort of hero, or a savior of sorts.

But the way he stood in front of her was nearly identical to the portrait of the devil that hung behind him.

“Who… who are you, really?” Anastasia questioned him, taking a small step back.

He tutted, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Oh, dear. It took you this long to figure it out? Not very insightful, are you?”

Raphael was surrounded by a blazing inferno, seeming as if they were rising up from the Hells themselves. As the flames dimmed, his true form was revealed: deep red skin, glowing eyes, strong horns, and bat-like wings.

A devil .

“What’s better than a devil you don’t know?”

“A devil you… do?” She replied, nearly trembling in fear.

“Precisely.”

She watched as the devil snapped his fingers once more.

Anastasia felt herself being pushed back into a chair, her wrists being restrained by a metal claw on the arms as soon as she had taken a seat.

“Can’t let you run off during negotiations, dearest.” He explained, “I do hope you understand.”

It took everything in herself not to thrash about, to scream at him to let her go, that she wanted no part in this any longer.

Instead, she took a breath, in through her nose, out through her mouth.

Stay calm, she told herself, he wants to help you. He’s going to help you, whether he truly wants to or not.

“Pray tell, Anastasia,” he said, “have you ever heard of a warlock?”

She had heard their praises sung by other bards a few times before. Fierce, strong spellcasters, bound by contract to an all-powerful patron who gives the warlock power in exchange for their loyalty and completing various duties assigned to them. Though she didn’t know any warlocks personally, she could definitely see the appeal in becoming one.

“I have,” She nodded.

“So this next part won’t come as a surprise, then.”

The devil snapped his fingers. Fearing the worst, Anastasia braced for impact.

Instead of her body being moved against her will once more, a scroll unfurled in front of her, magically floating in midair. The infernal inscription of the scroll glowed crimson. This was definitely unlike any sort of contract she had seen before.

Well, of course it isn’t, she thought to herself, this is a deal with a devil .

“The moment I have your signature,” he gestured as a quill appeared next to the scroll, “you will become my loyal warlock. Serving me for all your mortal days, and perhaps into the afterlife… if you’re lucky.”

“If I’m lucky?” Anastasia arched her brow.

“If I like you enough, that is,” he replied with a sickening grin. “Then, not only will I help you escape this marriage…”

He leaned in close, their noses nearly touching as she saw his eyes burning with the hellish infernal flame.

“Your power will be greater than you could ever imagine.”

Was she flushing from the proposal or from his proximity?

Regardless, Anastasia knew what she had to do.

“It’s a deal,” She answered.

The restraint from her wrists were lifted, allowing her to quickly pick up the quill. With her grip holding it tightly, she signed her name at the bottom of the parchment, her name glowing red once she lifted the quill from the scroll.

“Good girl.” He smiles as the contract rolled itself up, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

As soon as the scroll vanished, Anastasia felt a new magic coursing through her veins. This was nothing like the cantrips she had learned to harness, most definitely not. This magic was more powerful, darker in nature, as it traveled to the crown of her head to the ends of her fingers and toes.

For the first time in her life, she felt strong. She felt powerful.

She felt like she could do anything.

“Well? How does it feel?”

“It feels… amazing.” She replied, looking down at the deep green aura surrounding her hands. “It’s unlike anything I’ve felt before.”

“Excellent,” Raphael smiled. "But you're not done, yet."

She looked up from her hands to find him towering over her, moving his hands to rest them on her shoulders, his claws nearly breaking the fabric of her clothing.

“Now, listen to me carefully, dear.” He said, “If you mess this plan up, it could ruin everything.”

-----

“Oh, gods! My baby!”

As the sun crept over the town of Rivington, she could hear her mother’s agonizing screams ripping through the morning air.

Anastasia saw a replica of her body, beaten and bruised, limply laying in front of the steps of her home. She looked on as her mother’s arms wrapped around the body, weeping uncontrollably as she mourned the loss of her daughter.

“My baby… they took my baby…” she repeated again and again, her body rocking back and forth as she cradled her child.

To her pleasant surprise, Raphael had kept his end of the deal. Before she had left the House of Hope, he had instructed her to tell her parents the night before that she was going to play at the Elfsong Tavern, like she normally did. This time, she was not to come home.

Her father, who usually stayed up late for her on these nights, stood over the two of them. Even as the sun shone on his face, his features were dark.

She swore he never cried once in his life. But as she watched from the trees behind their house, she almost swore she saw him shed a tear.

Anastasia never wanted to hurt her parents, not like this. It hurt her even more, seeing how heartbroken they were to have lost their only child, their sunshine in the darkness of their lives.

But deep down, she knew this was the best decision she could make for herself.

She took a deep breath before taking a step back, holding her hands in prayer.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to herself. She hoped that through some strange miracle, her parents could hear her.

She quickly turned on her heel to make her way to the forest, replaying Raphael’s message in her head:

“When you know that they found your body, head to the middle of the forest. There will be a clearing with a boulder in the middle. That is where you will find me, and I will give you your first mission as my warlock.”

How he was able to replicate her body perfectly and have it look as if it was beaten to death, she would never fully know. But she did know one thing:

She could never go back home.

Anastasia Goldenrod was no more. The Fairest Bard in Baldur’s Gate had been brutally murdered. And to this life, she could never return.

She was going to start anew. She had to find a new purpose. Change her name.

Oh hells, what would she call herself…

Various names rotated through her head as she trudged forward, her violin case strapped to her back, next to her newly gifted sword.

There will be people who will recognize me if I am called Ana , she thought to herself, but I don’t want to make up something completely different and brand new. I always thought my name suited me, after all.

Finally, after walking for what felt like forever, there was a name that popped in her head that was so perfect, it stopped her right in her tracks.

Stassie.

The nickname her grandmother used to call her.

She said it aloud, under her breath, one that she hadn’t heard in many years. Then again, a bit louder this time.

It was perfect.

Though she didn’t have much time to think about anything else as she felt a foreign shadow looming over her.

As she looked over her shoulder, she spotted a mysterious alien ship with flailing tentacles flying through the sky.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 tav #oc: stassie #bg3 oc #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fanfic #enver gortash #lord gortash #raphael bg3 #bardlock #bg3 bard

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liesmyth · 1 year

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OOOH for the WiP meme!! 🤔📄👻

🤔 Do you have any WIPs where you wish you had chosen a different fandom/character? — Not really! Because what draws me to writing fic is usually the characters and the situations I can put them in, and the fic is built around that.

👻Is there a scene that you find intimidating that you have yet to write? — THE ENDING OF MY TLT BANG. I'm putting it on hold for a while and go back to other stuff in the fandom while my brain cooks :D

📝Share a snippet of an unposted WIP, with or without context.

The HtN Dios Apate-centric AU that has been haunting me for 6 months

The long and the short of it is that Joy decides that Harrowhark should not die. She was always a sucker for a nun, she and John both, and together they bundle up the girl to keep her deficient body safe while her soul fights where they truly need her. Augustine doesn’t know how they’ve strongarmed the girl into agreeing, but he doesn’t mind it—as pitiful as the girl is, it’s far too soon for her to die. Gideon’s dull stone face doesn’t give anything away, but little Ianthe looks all too thrilled even as she’s going to her possible death. Oh, to be young and infatuated.

They leave their bodies behind. They fight for hours, from the banks of the River to the depths of the Barathron, and it’s Augustine who finally wrestles the Beast into hell. Good fucking riddance, he thinks, tired and drained, too fraught with nerves to feel victorious. He’s shaking. That’s one ancient enemy they’ve gotten rid of—one of six in a long myriad, and it cost them three of their number.

In the Mithraeum, John welcomes them eagerly. “Well done,” he says, shifting on his feet, looking restless. His voice is charged in a way Augustine has rarely heard before, but he’s too tired to linger on that thought. They won, nobody died; he needs to sleep. Ianthe, the chit, is bouncing with restless energy, finally feeling like a real Lyctor, and so is Gideon, who has never been happy in his life unless he’s killing something. He catches sight of John reassuring Harrowhark as he leaves. It’s ridiculous how diligently God has been cultivating their little almost-Anastasia, with her broken brain and painted face.

“Oh, it’s fine,” he’s saying, as Augustine stumbles away. “Don’t worry about it.”

He sleeps for two days. On the third day, they all eat together; John has assembled plates of flatbread and meats and steamed vegetables, and Augustine picks at the food half-heartedly. The air is not precisely merry—they are all recovering from the onslaught of the Heralds as well as the fight—but it is comfortable and easygoing; Augustine lets Ianthe pester him for stories of the early days on Korionthos, and even Joy appears relaxed. John, oddly enough, barely talks, but he seems very content to listen, a pensive expression on his face.

The next day, Gideon is gone. This is beyond unusual. John would never—he has never—sent them away on missions so soon after a Beast fight. But when asked about it, John only shrugs. “Oh, nothing too taxing, I promise. He didn’t mind.” That, Augustine believes; Gideon is often in haste to leave and find something else to stick his sword into. “He’ll be back soon.”

“If you say so, Lord.” Joy’s voice conveys perfectly her distaste at Gideon’s eagerness to depart his brother and sisters, as though she didn’t feel the exact same way about all of them.

On the sixth day, John invites them to dinner. Just Augustine and Mercy; he says that the girls are doing their thing, with a gesture that hints at the mystery of young people, and suggest they do dinner and drinks on their own.

“I want to try Cassy’s roast recipe, the one with the cranberries,” he says. “The last time I prepared a whole proper meal… well, must have been before I left for the Erebos. Will you humour me?”

He says it so earnestly. His eyes are terrible. Augustine should not wish to look into them as much as he does.

#folfar #askbox games #writing tag #elle tlt posting #tlt

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jolieeason · 8 months

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Bookish Travels---January 2024 Destinations

I saw this meme on It’s All About Books and thought, I like this!! So, I decided to do it once a month also. Many thanks to Yvonne for initially posting this!! This post is what it says: Places I travel to in books each month. Books are lovely and take you to places you would never get to. That includes places of fantasy, too!! Bon Voyage!! Please let me know if you have read these books or…

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rockislandadultreads · 2 years

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Book Recommendations: New Mysteries Hitting Our Shelves

The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg

Jeppe Kørner, on leave from the police force and nursing a broken heart, has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. Also on the island is Esther de Laurenti, a writer with a mysterious path who is working on a biography. When Jeppe lends a helping hand at the island’s local sawmill, he begins to realize that the island may not be the peaceful refuge it appears to be. Before he knows it, Jeppe unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister mystery rooted in the past, forcing him to team up with Esther to unravel the island’s secrets before it’s too late.

This is the fifth volume in the “Korner and Werner” series.

Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings

1885: London. When Violet's Aunt Adelia decides to abscond with her newest paramour, she leaves behind her role as the most popular Agony Aunt in London, "Miss Hermione," in Violet's hands. And of course, the first letter Violet receives is full, not of prissy pondering, but of portent. Ivy Armstrong is in need of help and fears for her life. But when Violet visits the village where the letters were posted, she finds that Ivy is already dead. She'll quickly discover that when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, both marauding husbands and murder are par for the course.

This is the first volume in the “Dear Miss Hermione” series.

Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron

It’s hurricane season in New Orleans and vintage cookbook fan Ricki James-Diaz is trying to shelve her weather-related fears and focus on her business, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop. Repairs on the property unearth crates of very old, very valuable French wine, buried by the home’s builder, Jean-Louis Charbonnet. Ricki, who’s been struggling to attract more customers to Miss Vee’s, is thrilled when her post about the discovery of this long-buried treasure goes viral. When a dead body turns up in Bon Vee’s cheery fall decorations, however, Ricki is determined to uncover the culprit.

This is the second volume in the “Vintage Cookbook Mystery” series.

Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes

Who hasn’t wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you’ve probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this “Poison Ivy League” college is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate, and where one’s mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder.

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mnstcrbnll · 1 year

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PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ; most people, even strangers, know about this

Major TV host of Eteria, and well known in Pokèmon Europe

Hosts several TV shows, most of which have something to do with gossips

Host and owner of the Battle Arena in Meraviglia

He appeared in a few small movies, mostly interpreting himself

He's often seen with his Tsareena, Anastasia

He works with two of the Battle Arena Champions, Sadie and Etna. Both were asked to work with him only after they earned that title.

He, Sadie and Etna call themselves "the Marvellous Trainers"; however, not many had the chance to personally test him in a serious battle

SEMI-PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ; selected groups of people know about this

He wrecked a piece of the Arena during a non-title battle with Dante, which he lost. It was fixed post-haste

He's very interested in other Region's "battle gimmick", such as Megaevolution and Dynamaxing

He spent a few formative years in Kalos, working in the local news.

He's an incredibly skilled and powerful Trainer, often considered one, if not the strongest in his Region

PRIVATE KNOWLEDGE ; very few people know about this - in doubt, please ask!

He was considered as a Gym Leader by the Champion Dante, but he declined the offer

He was approached by Lysandre in his time in Kalos, and joined Flare for a short while. He left as soon as he noticed the vibes were off.

Most of his Pokèmon adopt a different Region's battle gimmick, but he uses them all only in fights he deems worthy a spectacle: Tsareena knows a Z-move, Vespiqueen has a Teracrystal, Gardevoir can Megaevolve and Ampharos can use the Gigantamax.

#ˑ༄ؘ ۪۪۫۫ ▹| [ aim for the stars [✧] sirio ] |◃ ۪۪۫۫ ༄ؘ ˑ #ˑ༄ؘ ۪۪۫۫ ▹| [ about&headcanons ] |◃ ۪۪۫۫ ༄ؘ ˑ #basically. hes eteria's red :^)#and yes ampharos has a gigamax bc i said so and it deserve it

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gingersnappe-9 · 2 years

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In a Crowd of Thousands: Reality (14)

Din Djarin/Mando X Fem!OC || Star Wars/The Mandalorian Universe

Series List || #star wars anastasia || PREVIOUS || NEXT

2.3K words

Warnings: intense description of grief/personal loss

The wayward star had been discovered at last. Her Royal Highness, Grand Duchess Aurelia Organa was her real name. Luke and Leia were her brother and sister. Her mother and father were Queen Breha and Senator Bail Organa. She had a family. She had a name. Everything was as it should be. So why did she feel so broken?

As quickly as the course of her life shifted, Ava suddenly felt like she was standing still watching from the distance as people moved around her. Luke’s staff quickly packed up what few belongings she had and ushered her and Leia over to her sister’s estate. The short ride over, Ava couldn’t even comprehend what Leia was saying as she spoke to what looked like a personal assistant, something about logistics and planning an announcement. She didn’t even have the capacity to note how much bigger the house was, or how there were easily a dozen more maids and butlers flitting around asking her nonsense questions.

What kind of sheets do you prefer, Princess? What dietary needs do you have so that the chef may prepare you a late dinner, my Lady. Would you care for a nightcap – whatever that was – your Highness? Everyone addressed her by a name that wasn’t her own, not even Aurelia. Wasn’t that supposed to be her name?

Before Ava even realized, her luggage had been brought in with haste and was already being hoisted up the stairs and up to what she could only assume was her new suite. It felt that from the moment of her arrival, everyone around her was tending to a task or chore while she stood there bleary and confused. Yes, she finally knew who she was, but at what cost? Betrayal from the one person in the galaxy she had begun to open herself up to? The tears came fast after that thought, creating hot trails down her cheeks and spotting the neckline of her pristine gown. She wiped away at her eyes, but when she pulled her hand back, it was smeared with the black from her eyelashes. She’d just ruined the beautiful makeup that Luke had so carefully applied for her only a few hours before. Everyone moved too quickly. There were too many bodies around her. It was too loud and too much. Silent tears continued to spill down her face as Ava reached out for comfort, only to find a void in the back of her mind. Right. Little Grogu stayed at Luke’s. Fett would return in a matter of days to collect, then split the bounty for her return and they would be gone. She would never see him again. Mando would be nothing but a memory.

Tears turned into soft sobs. Leia came into her perception and gently took a hold of Ava’s shoulders, with every ounce of tenderness, and wiped the tears from her sister’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Sweetie. I’m sorry.” She held Ava close and dismissed all unnecessary staff for the evening. The room’s dull roar waned as Leia softly shushed and stroked Ava’s back. “Why don’t we have you take a nice, hot bath and get you into something more comfortable, okay?”

Ava nodded meekly and let her sister and primary maid, Elvira, guide her upstairs quietly. Even after nearly a decade of being apart, Leia was still as attentive and loving as ever and all Ava could do at that realization was cry a little more.

The trio walked up the stairs, with either woman at Ava’s side, to a large ensuite bathroom. There was a wall to wall sink and vanity, a beautiful circle window above them detailed with delicate mullions trailing over frosted glass. An impossible large soaking tub sat in the center of the room with clawed feet and brass fixtures to match the rest of the hardware. Leia kept the lights low and walked over to a cabinet lined with a multitude of different products and objects. After Elvira turned on the water, a rushing sound erupted in the room. Leia had selected two vials of scented oils that she dropped into the rushing water. The room filled with steam and the gentle aroma of what Leia called ylang-ylang and sandalwood.

“They’re supposed to be a homeopathic type of remedy. But if anything, they smell nice and I find them relaxing.” Leia finished with a warm smile. Ava could only stand there feeling like a poorly carved statue – useless and unappealing – Her sister once again had to guide her by the shoulders to a corner of the bathroom with a small chaise lounge and a foldable screen for privacy. Ava felt instantly childish and ridiculous and shuffled back in quiet embarrassment at her neediness and insecurities. Ava changed slowly, letting the garment fall from her body in a glittering puddle at her feet. It had felt foolish to wear such nice undergarments now – at the insistence of the stylist, but something else in the deepest, and most salacious parts of Ava’s mind wished there might’ve been another reason for her undressing – She pushed the thought from her mind as Leia passed her a luscious bathrobe from the other side of the changing screen. It was obviously expensive and it did indeed feel quite comfortable, but there was something else Ava wanted to wrap herself in entirely.

“You can reheat the water as much as you’d like, all you have to do is use the control pad I’ve left on the table. I had some cookies next to the tea in your room in case you wanted something to eat afterwards. Just let me or Elvira know if you need anything else.” Leia added softly before shutting the door.

After a moment to ensure she was completely alone, Ava crept out from behind the screen to look around the room once more. The mirrors had the slightest hint of condensation clinging to the pristine glass. Ava swiped her hand across the surface to reveal a clearer reflection of her face behind the beaded water. She knew by the time she had arrived at Leia’s estate that her eyes were puffy and swollen, her makeup most likely a mess, and her face pink with fury and regret. Before that, Ava felt like the prettiest girl in the room for a whole second. Now whoever was staring back at her with wavering lines trailing down from her tear stained eyes felt just as lost and lonely as the little girl who woke up on a dusty planet all those years ago. The longer she stood gazing and pondering, Ava felt the cool tile beneath her feet sending chills up her legs that crept into her spine. She set a repeating timer for the tub heater, let the thick fabric fall to the floor, and gingerly lifted one foot after the other and sank into the aromatic water.

Her head fell back onto the pillow just on the edge of the tub and Ava allowed her eyes to shut. The only sounds in the room were those of her heavy sighs and the gentle lapping of water against fine porcelain. The steam swirled around her face, helping to clear out the congestion and lingering pain from crying. Ava hadn’t cried that much in her life before. It hurt to furrow her brow as waves of emotions came and went. A pressure had formed behind her skull. It felt like there were too many emotions happening all at once in her head, so many in fact, she began to feel numb. So, Ava let herself sink further into the warm embrace of the water – a sensation she was sure would never be short of amazing as long as she lived – and allowed her hair to fan out like a deep, dark halo as her eyes closed. She stayed there for however long it took for her fingers and toes to wrinkle. The water reheated itself for however many times it took for her head to stop throbbing, for her thoughts to stop being so loud and feeling to return to her soul. Then, and only then, did Ava open her eyes.

Ava let the water drained before pulling herself up and out. She took her time gently patting a warm towel against her skin till she was perfectly dry. The robe was pulled over her shoulders and wrapped around her waist tightly. She padded over to the door and walked into her suite to finally admire the sophistication and elegance of Leia’s house.

It was almost exactly like Luke’s – understated yet comfortable, but with enough presence to command subtle luxury – it was astonishing how alike the two siblings were. All around, there were fixtures on the wall that glowed softly with the warmth of the late evening light of Tatooine’s suns. She quietly walked past the preposterously plush bed with more pillows than Ava could imagine ever necessary. She ran her fingers over the brocade bedding noting the fine needlework and quality of the materials. As she ventured further she finally noticed a sitting area to the far side with a sofa, sitting chairs, and large double doors that led out onto a private balcony. In the center was a low table with a reflective tray holding a teapot, a cup and a small plate of cookies.

Ava paused for a moment and let her head tilt back. She was in awe of her life. This new life. The more she focused, she picked up on the smell of the scented oiled wafting in from the bathroom. She could hear the oh-so-quiet thrum of electricity pulsing through the heating mechanism of the tea saucer. The carpets were so plush, her feet seemed to melt into them even as she stood perfectly still. Ava just continued to stand there, savoring the smells and sensation of her new existence. She would never be wanting for anything ever again. She was a princess after all. And yet, it all felt so strange. Ava complained a great deal but she loved working on old wrecks with Peli. She found it immensely satisfying to scrub away the hydraulic fluid and various mechanical residues from her hands. There was something gratifying about a hard day's work, seeing the outcome for one’s labor. She’d never do that again. She would become the lady she was born to be.

Ava would attend lavish parties and events like the one from tonight. She would rub elbows and laugh with the rich and famous. She would participate in democracy and diplomacy like her sister. She would hone her skills and put them towards the improvement of the galaxy. But would it be enough? Would she ever be enough?

In the solace of her room, Ava heard a distant voice. You’re a star too bright to miss… Jate'kara.

After a moment of pondering, she stared down at the cup, and the little tea bag bobbing up and down. The cookies on the plate were round and thick in texture. They had a warm and appetizing aroma to them that was familiar. Taking a baked good in one hand, and the cup of tea in the other, Ava brought them to her lips one after the other.

The tea was chamomile with honey and dashes of cinnamon. The cookie was oatmeal and morsel chips. Two of her absolute favorite things in the entire galaxy. Leia remembered after all their time apart, but worst of all, she could only imagine what Mando might’ve thought of the subtle sweetness, how her parents used to say that she looked like a small mouse with her cheeks puffed out mid chew. The combination set her off again. Fat tears began to tumble down her cheeks still chewing the soft cookie. A weak moan escaped her lips, which turned into sobs that echoed off the walls, amplifying her misery.

Finding her family was not the happy experience she thought it was going to be. It was bittersweetness that clung to her soul like a growth that eventually overtakes its host.

Leia burst in from the doors. “Aurelia, what’s wrong?”

All she found was Ava crying while clutching the half eaten cookie, a crumb or two coating her lips, and the teacup close to her chest. “Mama used to love this tea. She never got mad at me when I put too much cinnamon in,” her words were broken with gasps for air and heavy sniffles, “Papa would always sneak me an extra cookie when she wasn’t looking.” It was a rather pathetic sight. But nevertheless, Leia’s face fell to a similar, but far more contained, expression of sadness. She walked the short distance to her sister, put her things back down on the table and brought the younger girl’s head to her shoulder.

It never occurred to Ava that discovering who she was, or finding her family, would mean she would mourn for them. The reality of her and her sister’s situation was a heavy burden. Their parents were gone, Ava had so little time with them, she couldn’t hardly remember their faces. Deep sadness tumbled over her like a rogue wave crashes upon the shore, wiping out whatever lies on the sand, and pulling the remnants out to sea till there was nothing left but a barren wasteland.

“I want Mommy and Daddy.”

Leia tensed and turned her face further away from Ava’s but held her tighter. The reality of the words cut deep. Ava didn’t mean to say it, it just spilled out. She knew there was nothing her sister could do for either of them. It was the cruelty of life. The finality of death.

“I know, Aurie, I want them too.”

It was probably the first time Leia admitted to the pain in her heart since she was a child. But both of them were children no more.

The two stood there for a few minutes more, crying with one another and the loss of their parents and their world.

If you’d like to remain updated follow #star wars anastasia

Series List || #star wars anastasia || PREVIOUS || NEXT

#anastasia au #the mandalorain #star wars au #fanfiction #mando #star wars anastasia #gingersnappe writes

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xhiel · 2 years

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Finding Anastasia

She pushed open the doors to the Studium, finding who she sought by the signature red hair that hung well below her belt. Lia stood, talking, hushed emphatic tones on her voice. Xhiel stopped in her step, seeing who it was she spoke to.

The young woman had matched hair, pulled into a loose ponytail, cast slightly to one side as if it were made in haste. Her furrowed brow matched Lia's fiery demeanor, and the mismatched eyes, one blue and one green, told the story of who her sire was.

Anastasia, Xhiel's first born, her heir, her daughter, stood speaking with her wife, sharing the hushed tone.

"You need to speak with your Mother." Xhiel caught Lia's words, feeling the matronly admonishment in them, perhaps more than Anastasia did.

"Absolutely not. You two… the scions. You're ruining everything here for me." her daughter spoke through half grit teeth.

Xhiel took a breath, then, stepping forwards, arms folded in her robes, coming up next to Lia. "I have come at a bad time, then?"

Anastasia recoiled, shocked, staring wide-eyed at Xhiel. She was silent.

"Apologies for the lack of notice. And for our… missteps in your new home." Xhiel gave a cant of her head in acknowledgment.

"How…," Anastasia seemed unable to find words for a long moment. "How dare you?" she managed finally. "How dare you appear out of nowhere, no word, no warning, ruining my reputation and… and…."

"The reputation I ruin is my own. Sharlayan does not lay the sins of the parent upon their children." Xhiel's eyes went to the books in Anastasia's arms. "That is a collection of my published notes and papers."

"They keep several copies." Her daughter looked at her, speaking carefully, slowly, fighting the tears in her throat

"You continue your studies apace then." Xhiel said, nodding. "You will no doubt impress the staff here."

Anastasia didn't respond. She turned. She left.

Lia looked at her wife, then to the retreating Anastasia. "She's still tangled up…."

As was common for her age, Anastasia had come at odds with expectations set upon her. She was first born. An heir. She was a Lady… or was to be. She still might have been.

Xhiel had, as with all of her children, given Anastasia the choice. She could be Lady Anastasia White. Or she could abdicate, allow one of her sisters to take the title, and do as she pleased with her life.

The House of White might die then and there, if Xhiel were honest with herself. None of the girls seemed to be ones to head a house. And, contrary to what most might believe, Xhiel would be glad for it.

Lest they chose to take it up, trouble and all, she would rather her house vanish into history than force it upon her children.

Anastasia had not made the choice. She had run from it.

Several letters had been exchanged. Most of them an acquiesce on Xhiel's part for Sharlayan; supplies, secrecy, agreements. All so that Anastasia might live and study there. They had been small favors, in this mother's mind.

Now, meeting again, never a word exchanged between them for years, even between all the letters she had sent, Xhiel saw how her daughter had lived.

The name Xhiel White was known in scholarly circles, especially where alchemy and aetherology were concerned. Her work on Allagan technology was long published, as were several long papers on various aspects of Alchemy as a science. And, while she was never once foremost in the field, holding a summoner's soulstone made one a font of knowledge that scholars consulted.

Her name hung over her daughter's head.

Xhiel looked to Lia, then, "Our daughter needs her mother. And I cannot be that for her. Not while I am in bad standing with the Forum. Not while my name bears the weight of a crazed woman singing the end of days coupled with the weight of a woman whose footsteps she must follow in her studies."

"I'll find her… take her to The Last Stand, sit with her." Lia sighed, smiling sadly at her wife, "Children are my greatest joy."

***

Lia barely ate food. Her body required little else other than a constant supply of aether to sustain itself. And, given she was an aetherial conduit, she was never in short supply.

The oddity of being a homonculous, organic though she was, stood out in those small ways.

For others, she would have put on the show of enjoying the meal. For Annie? The lie would be insulting.

Still, the ice cream she had ordered for them both was undeniably delicious, and so she shared it with her daughter, sitting in silence for a time.

"You always get me ice cream when I'm upset." Annie said over the spoon in her mouth.

"Yeah. It works too." Lia laughed, sitting back in her chair. "Anything you wanna say?"

"No." Annie snapped. Lia looked at her, relaxed in her chair, returning none of that anger. She sighed. "Yes."

"She's nowhere within earshot. My collar is with her."

Annie eyed her mom a moment, eyes flicking to her neck, finding it barren. "Fine." She paused for a long moment, looking around trying to find where to start.

Lia, for her part, slid her spoon through the little mountain of ice cream, slipping the bite between her lips.

"I…," Annie looked towards Lia, patient eyes lacking admonishment there. "I'm sorry."

Lia blinked, shaking her head a little. "Ya know, not what I expected. But go on."

"I'm sorry I didn't… I'm sorry I just left. I'm sorry I made you do all that work. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She shut her eyes tight, fighting back tears.

Lia was quiet, still, and Annie looked up to see how she reacted. No anger, no matronly admonishment, nothing but understanding was in the sad little smile Lia wore.

Annie felt herself shake, then, teeth gritting. "You're supposed to be furious! You're supposed to wag your finger at me, tell me I'm too old for this! You're supposed to tell me it's time to make a decision, choose who I'm going to be!"

She slammed the table, drawing the attention of those who had not already started staring when she shouted. A stern look from Lia made those heads turn back away.

"If I were Xhiel, I might say something like, 'that would be unhelpful'. But I'm not… I'm your mom, not your mother. You… Annie," she caught herself in a little laugh, "You don't have to know those things, you know that, right? You're sixteen, sure. Old enough to be a Lady, if you choose. But old enough to not be a Lady."

Annie's shoulders shook as she sobbed, and Lia moved her chair, pulling her daughter into her arms. "I don't know," she whispered through her tears.

"You don't have to."

***

Harmonia fluffed the last of the pillows in the quarters the White family had been given in Sharlayan. Xhiel bade them come, made arrangements for them, when she had returned from the moon.

Knowing The Final Days were growing closer and closer, and that they might be boarding the Ark had put them all in a strange malaise.

And when Harmonia was stressed, she cleaned, made order out of chaos. Alexandria, the woman who had sewn her clothes since she was small, kept Lia company when Xhiel was away, had joined her. The two of them were easy friends in times like these, and the sheets still needed tucking, food still needed preparing, and someone had no doubt spilled something somewhere.

Gene sat in her chair, a stack of books next to her, peering through a telescope. All of them were her notes, started when her Mother had first been conscripted by the Scions. She watched the world carefully, wanting desperately to know if she could help. Now she watched the sky, poured over notes, looking for answers… anything that might make the difference.

Joan set a cup of tea down for her, not missing an opportunity to hug Gene before going back to managing her other sisters. Where Harmonia kept the house, Joan kept the peace.

Now, though, she gave comfort. Ruby and Angelica, normally at odds with one another, were quiet. Angelica laid in Ruby's lap, trying desperately to pretend to be asleep… but her breathing was too fast, Joan knew. She poured tea for them, too.

Laura sat with Alpha, the old War hound curled up as if to sleep. A ruse well trained into him, betrayed by how his ears sat back, and his tail flicked. Still, she laid on him, finding comfort in the big hound's fur against her skin. If she was with Alpha, she was safe.

Natasha looked at her sister curiously for a moment, waving a hand to get Laura's attention. "Does Laura want tea?" she signed, tilting her head to go with the question.

Laura looked at her silent sister a moment, and what was normally a very quiet girl, nearly as stone faced as her mother, shed a little tear, shaking her head.

Natasha's hands went to her face, miming shock where she could not gasp. "Natasha will stay with Laura." she signed, her movement emphatic, making a declaration, not asking a question as she sat with her sister, laying her head upon Laura's shoulder.

Anna paced. She paced and paced and paced. Kiki and Katarina watched her. She went between stomping her way across the room to tiptoeing. She was horrifically, unequivocally, bored. This city had nothing this excitable girl wanted to do. Books were something she could barely sit still to have read to her… unless she liked them, and this was a city full of books.

So she paced. And Kiki watched, puzzled and trying desperately to pay attention to her own busy work. She had brought a harp to try and learn to play, only to snap the strings several times. Of course, the Sharlayan musicians had been happy to help her with the repairs… the first three times. So now, she carefully tuned it, using her voice to find the notes for each string, despite the noise her sister made.

Katarina sat shyly with Kiki, watching her sister fiddle with her harp, anxiously watching as she tightened strings, holding her breath when she thought they might snap… but this time they didn't. The half attempts at music gave this a sense of home… something normal. She could help her sister with this, it was something she could hold onto.

Penny, for all of the heavy anxiety in their quarters, seemed not to notice. She was happily slapping her hands away at the paper Samantha had given her, guiding her, so much as she could, to learn to finger paint. She was the third youngest of them, and had taken to the new arrangement as if it were simply a visit to a far flung land they'd be returning from soon enough.

"That's… good." Samantha sighed, wiping the paint from her fingers, washing them, and retightening her braids. If it kept Penny distracted, kept her from asking too many hard questions, Samantha was happy to give her little sister some of her paints. Still… if she'd just use a brush… and not so much of them…. She could get more. She could get more. The schools here had supplies she could request.

The door swung open and all in the room flung their heads to look, as if waiting for those inevitable words.

Instead, Anastasia stood there, Luna in her arms, Rhie holding onto her hand. "I found these two wandering around in Labyrinthos…."

She was surrounded, suddenly, all her sisters crowding her. Harmonia and Alexandria gently took the twins, her sister not missing the opportunity to press a quick kiss into her cheek. Joan tugged girls into a controlled circle, guiding them to give their sister space.

Anastasia stood there, looking dumbfounded, hand going to where Harmonia had kissed her. They were as close to cribmates as could have been, given Harmonia was a year younger. Her first friend, her first sister. She… she didn't seem angry with her. Only happy to see her.

Those mismatched eyes looked around the circle of girls, seeing Harmonia, Alex, and Joan slip into it as they managed the chaos. Every face looked at her, smiles and tears.

"You're not…" Annie couldn't find the words.

Natasha was the one to speak, signing with wide arms, "We missed you. So much."

Anastasia felt her knees buckle, tears flowing freely, hands barely able to sign back, "I missed you too."

***

"Absolutely not." Xhiel's tone was as even as ever. "Where I go here, you cannot follow."

They stood at the very center of the reason Labyrinthos had been built, the gateway to the Aitascope.

"I can. I will." Anastasia looked her mother in the eyes, standing firm.

Those words were something Xhiel had said to her daughter many a time when she had been defiant, when she had insisted Xhiel could not reprimand her or punish her for something she'd done to her sisters.

"While I respect your newfound determination, you are no seasoned combatant. You are a scholar of sixteen winters, nearing the end of her studies." her mother eyed her daughter, "You cannot follow me down this path."

"Yes I can. Just like I followed you down the path of alchemy. Just like I followed you down the path of aetherology." Anastasia stood firm, still.

"Not at the eleventh hour." Xhiel met here there. "You are as stubborn as ever, and while that has served you in your studies, in your pursuit of ever refining your skill, grit and determination are on the gravestone of every well meaning soldier."

Anastasia's mask broke, then, voice raising as she shouted at her mother, "I'm supposed to watch then? Sit here and stand with Krile while you go off, deep into the aetherial sea… maybe never… never…."

Lia rested a hand on Annie's shoulder, "We've been through worse."

She threw her shoulder, casting Lia's hand off, "That's worse! You have to know that! That… that I could've…." She curled over into herself, shaking and sobbing.

Xhiel knelt next to her daughter, a hand gently taking her chin, turning her to meet her mother's gaze. Annie found only a gentle understanding there, where she thought she might have found more of that stone faced admonishment.

"We leave you not behind us, but with the hope that you might continue forwards, with or without us." Xhiel's voice was rare and gentle, forehead resting against Annie's.

"And we will do everything to be with you on that path." Lia said, taking Annie's hand. "That's our place."

***

In the rise of the commotion, she'd slipped away and into the lift. The mechanism was simple enough, and she tossed the lever.

Anastasia watched the observers' platform vanish from sight in an instant, the lift falling fast as she turned to watch it venture downwards. She'd been content to trust in her mothers. She'd let them go, things left unsaid, trusting they would be back.

Now, though, communication had been lost. The last she knew, their way was barred and they were trapped between shades of the past.

Anastasia was no summoner. She had studied how arcanists used their magicks on the battlefield… and never once had she used it in practice.

Still, the Carbuncle at her feet stood poised and ready, and so she mirrored it as the doors opened.

This place was… quiet. She had expected more. But the path before her was eerie and still, letting sounds of distant battle echo back towards her. She took her first steps and found her foot falls were like drums amongst the silence. But there was only one way for her, now. Forwards.

***

The twisted thing made even Xhiel unsteady. The minor shades, fizzling tumults of emotion, echoes of souls left without recourse, were a small trouble by comparison.

This thing, this horrible visage, wore her mother's and sister's faces, spinning in a whirl of anger and hatred, reaching out for her with arms made of chain.

Titan caught them, the links wrapping about his body, the demi-primal roaring as he struggled against them, bursting with aether only to vanish into nothing when they wrapped tighter around him.

Ifrit fared no better, clashing against this violent shade and bursting into nothing but waisted aether as it broke against that twisted form. Garuda was fragile, and snapped in twain when the chains whirled upon her, leaving Xhiel in their path.

They wrapped about her, pulling her in, dragging her toward that tumult of pain and anguish, unheard cries of violent anger surrounding her, clawing at her, consuming her.

Light surrounded her, the thing’s unhinged jaw stopped by the agis, and it threw her in its frustrations. She felt herself tumble into another, falling into a half controlled crumple on the floor of this place.

She fought the urge to let her eyes close, fought her way to her feet… and felt a hand grasp her own, pulling her up.

Anastasia was there, looking as if she had seen the dead, clasped tight to Xhiel's hand. Xhiel laughed, the sound coming unbidden as she watched her daughter a moment, "Too stubborn by half."

A shot rang out, the familiar ring of a magazine ejecting from Lia's rifle following as she loaded another, pulling herself off the ground where she had caught Xhiel. That violent shade roared in its frustration, rounding on them again as it recoiled from the blast.

"Quips later. Monster now."

Xhiel turned, pulling Anastasia to face that thing with her, "You have an older sister."

"I-", Annie looked at Xhiel, stunned until another demi-primal breaking against the twisted visage brought her back. "How?"

"She died a year before you were born," Lia shouted over the cries of that terrible thing. "She's the reason I'm here. The reason you're here."

Titan caught the chains again, this time pulling them against his arms, wrestling with the shade. "She gave her life for Lia's… in a time not unlike this one," Xhiel seemed to struggle with her demi-primal, the aetherial construct failing, shattering.

"We hoped to see her here, if only for a moment," Lia looked back at Annie, smiling sadly.

Those chains found Lia in her brief distraction, and Annie snapped towards her, pointing her Carbuncle just as she had when her mother had been dragged in. The shield of light wrapped Lia up, and the monster slammed her down in its frustration.

"Mommy!" Annie burst from her place, anything else forgotten, kneeling next to Lia a moment later, aether channeling into her wounds.

The beast rose above them, and Ifrit caught its terrible arms, roaring back at those twin faces of rage, Xhiel's voice rising with it.

The demi-primal broke, vanishing like it had before, small in the face of that twisted rage. And it bore down on Anastasia.

"Help me… please." the plea came from her lips, said to someone nameless, someone she never knew. In this place, where the dead came to rest, Annie might reach her.

The thunder of those chains crashed down around her, and Anastasia looked up to find a girl there, standing over her, the beast's chains clattering uselessly against her back.

Xhiel was there with them, then, gathering Lia up in her arms. "She will be fine, but this is well out of your studies." the woman pulled something from within her robes, pressing it into Anastasia's hand. "Listen close, feel the memories. Heed them."

Annie looked in her palm and saw the little green stone, a summoner's horn etched into its surface. She looked up, seeing that beast thrash, impotent rage crashing against the back of that nameless girl. She saw that girl's hand extend, and Anastasia took it.

Among what it's forebears had laid in that soulstone, she found Xhiel's memories. In them was a name, one she'd never heard before. One she wished she'd known.

"Nadia." She said quietly, and her sister smiled, a hand reaching out and tapping her nose.

The great cry of Phoenix cut through the clamorous rage of the beast, the demi-primal soaring above it, diving in and whirling through its chains. That twisted thing cried out, lashed it's chains at the Phoenix, and it could not catch it.

The demi-primal rose above them, Anastasia willing it higher and higher. It rounded, another great cry echoing over them all as it folded its wings, and Anastasia bid it end the misery of that horrific beast.

***

"I'm sorry," Annie sniffled softly, sitting with her mothers, head hung low, feeling shame wash over her finally.

The two women looked at each other, then at their daughter. Xhiel reached forwards, tilting Annie's head up to meet them both. Smiles, full of pride, met her. She lunged at them, sobbing and shaking, holding them close to her.

"I wanted…. I wanted so bad…." She fought with her words.

"You cannot." Xhiel interrupted her. "You cannot be me."

Annie looked up, hurt clear in her face.

"You are Anastasia White. You will never be the Lady Xhiel White. And you should never be." Xhiel paused, looking at her daughter, "Lady or not, you will be Anastasia. No one else. Let the knife of my name down from over your head."

She sat back, hands wiping the tears from her cheeks, still sobbing. "I… yes. I'll… be…"

Both of her mothers took her hands, lacing thier fingers with their own, and Annie nodded.

Something caught her eye, and she looked up. Nadia was there, standing and rocking on her feet, a little grin on her face. Her sister leaned down and laid a little kiss on Annie's forehead, and then turned to look at their parents.

Lia reached out, and Nadia took her hand, clasping it in both of her own. "I-," Lia started, but Nadia shook her head, looking to Annie. "Of course. I have so much left to do...."

Nadia smiled nodded, and then was suddenly hugging Lia tight where she sat. The young woman froze for a moment before embracing her daughter, shaking with her sobs.

The moment would have never lasted as long as Lia wanted. And Nadia was with Xhiel, holding both her sire's hands, leaning in and pressing a simple kiss to her cheek.

Xhiel's eyes closed, and a slow breath came, a tear falling down where her daughter's lips had pressed. "We won't be too long," Xhiel said, and Nadia laughed. That was a terrible Lie.

Nadia laid herself across her mothers' laps, curled up and yawning. They laid their hands upon her, embracing her as she blew a little kiss to Annie, gently fading into aether once more.

#ffxiv oc #oc lore #contextless oc lore

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